Crossbow-gun.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC CROSSBOW-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,411, dated May 29, 1900. Application filed April 25, 1899. Serial No. 714,451. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.:

Be itknown thatI, JOHN G. L. MYERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Osceola Mills, in the county of Clearfield and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and use' ful Improvement in Crossbow-Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a crossbow-gun particularly adapted for childrens use as a toy; and the objects of the invention are to provide a novel construction of bow and improved means for fastening the bow to the barrel of the gun and also the novel means of tripping or releasing the string.

71th these objects in view the invention consists in the peculiar construction of the various parts and in their novel combination and arrangement, all of which will be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this speci- `iication, Figure l is a top plan view. Fig. 2

is an enlarged View of the bridge of a gun, parts being broken away to illustrate the trigger mechanism. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section of the barrel. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through the barrel and stock. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail perspective of the bow-securing means; and Fig. 6 is a section through the thickest portion of the bow, illustrating the overlapping bow-sections.

In carrying out my invention I employ a gun constructed, preferably, of wood and comprising a barrel portion A and a stock B. The barrel A is slotted horizontally at A', said slot extending from the bridge to a point near the muzzle, the purpose of said slot being to permit the play of the projecting string C. The barrel of thegun has a circular bore A2, and in the upper and lower edges of said bore are produced thc vertical grooves A3, the purpose of which is to guide the projectile or arrow, which has a round or bullet-shaped head and a fan-shaped tail or wing, the head resting in the circular bore, while the tail slides in the vertical grooves A3, .thereby holding the projectile in the proper position, so that it will be impossible for the string to be released Without acting upon the project-V ile. The bow is constructed of a series of channel-shaped spring rods semicircular in cross-sect1on,'arranged one D, preferably upon the other,- as most clearly shown in Fig. 6. Y v

The bow is secured to the gun ata point on the under side of the barrel near the forward end. The spring-rods are of varying lengths, several extending the entire length of the bow, while the others extend only a portion thereof, thereby rendering the ends liexible and the center substantially rigid. This construction makes a very desirable' bow, the degree of resistance being adjusted or regulated by the number of sections used.

The several sections are securely locked one upon the other through the medium of the locking-plate .E and staple F. This plate consists of a body portion, preferably square,- on each edge of which is an extension adapted to be bent at right angles to the face of the body to form iianges, the anges on twoof the opposite edges being bent in one direc# tion and the flanges on the other edges being bent in the opposite direction. Those which secure the bow-sections together are bent downwardly, as most clearly seen in Fig. 5, and provided with registering openings, through which a staple F isV rejected to se curely lock, hold, and retain he several bowsections in position. Of course it is obvious that the plate could be secured directly to the barrel without the aid of the upwardly; projecting flanges; but I prefer to use the form of plate shown, for the reason that the upwardly-projecting anges being secured to the side ofthe barrel will add rigidity to the center of the bow when the same is being used. p

The string C is attached to the end of the bow and rests within a slot A', and when it is desired to operate the gun the projectile is inserted in the muzzle and the string carried back and engaged by a trigger-operated trip in the rearward end of the slot A. This trigger-operated trip mechanism consists of two plates G, in which is secured the springpressed lever G, pivoted at G2 and having a shoulder or odset G3 registering with a similar shoulder or odset on the trip member G4, which is also pivoted between the plates G. The upper portion of the trip memberis IOO out out to form a recessed extension G5, which projects above the bottom of the bore and when the parts are in their normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, willA engage the string G in such a manner that it cannot be released without applying a backward pressure to the trigger, which will release the trip,

.and by assuming a position shown in dottedA lines in Fig. 2 will release the string and allow the arrow to be projected upon its way. The free end of the trip member projects across the bore of the barrel at all times inl position to be engaged by the cord and swing backward, which will cause the extension to be thrown up in front of the cord and hold it until released by the trigger. A transverse stop-pin H is arranged in the lower grooves A3 to prevent the projectile being forced too far rearwardly.

It will thus be seen that I provide an exceedingly simple, durable, and efficient construction of bow-gun which can be used by children as a toy, and owing to the simplicityof the parts it is not likely to get out of order. Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a crossbow, the combination, with the barrel, of a plate secured to the under side of the muzzle, the front and rear edges of which are bent downward and perforated, a staple through said perforations, a bow between the plate and the staple, a cord on the bow, and trigger mechanism for the cord.

2. In a crossbow, the combination with the barrel, of a plate secured to the under side of the muzzle the edges of which are lprovided with angu ar extensions, two of the 

